


Yuletide

by Llama1412



Series: Siblings 'verse [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-25
Updated: 2010-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23484622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Llama1412/pseuds/Llama1412
Summary: Arthur had a ritual every Yuletide. Morgana discovers the ritual.
Relationships: Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Siblings 'verse [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1689595
Kudos: 12





	Yuletide

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on livejournal in 2010-2011. Posted unedited.

It wasn't unknown that Queen Ygraine had a tomb in the catacombs, but people generally forgot about it. After the Queen's death, Uther had spent an unhealthy amount of time down there. The habit had only stopped once Gaius had managed to drag him away with a great deal of coaxing. Since then, it was considered unwise to bring the topic up in conversation.

What was unknown was that Arthur actually went to the tomb regularly. Granted, that 'regularly' was usually when he was deeply troubled by something. Still, he made a point to visit at least once a year, which was more often than anyone else went.

Morgana had found out by accident, following him one year when she noticed his absence. She crept after him, thinking herself a wildly stealthy little girl, at least until she realized that Arthur had gotten a ways ahead of her and taken the only light source with him. She hurried, panic clouding her mind and leaving her unable to hear above the pounding in her ears. She didn't notice the light dipping down in height, didn't think about where Arthur might be going or what she knew of Camelot's layout. It was only when her foot impacted not the stone floor she'd been expecting, but insubstantial air that she realized Arthur had descended down the staircase leading to the catacombs. Unlike his steady gait, she followed his path with a sharp scream and a long tumble down the unforgiving stone steps.

She was expecting Arthur to yell at her for invading his privacy. Instead, he approached her silently and helped her up, towing her along with him until they stood before Ygraine's tomb.

"Why are we here?" She asked in a whisper. Arthur never spoke of his mother, never acknowledged that she was missing. Why had that changed now?

"One of my nurses told me that Yule was my mother's favorite time of year." Arthur told her, voice solemn. "I don't want her to be all alone on the day of her favorite festival."

Morgana looked at him softly. "My mother used to love Yule, too. I remember my father would take her out to dance in the courtyard. There would be a big feast with music and bonfires and they'd dance all night under the stars." Her smile faded as she came back from the memories. "Why don't they do that here?"

"Father says that Yuletide is too close to magic. He won't allow the festival to be celebrated in this city. I think...I think he just misses her." He reached out a hand to brush blunt fingertips along the elaborate carvings covering her tomb. "Maybe he used to take her out dancing, too, and he doesn't want to see other people getting to do that while he can't." He turned to her with a sad smile, "I want to believe that. Everyone says that Father loved her lots. But...he doesn't even talk about her. How can you not talk about someone you love?" His face was so downcast as he spoke that she suspected he was about to cry.

Morgana wrapped a tentative arm around his shoulders, half expecting him to shrug it off. He didn't. "Maybe he loves her too much. It could be that he doesn't talk about her because he thinks he'd say too much. My nanny says that boys are like that a lot."

"Really?" Arthur sniffled.

"Really." She kissed his forehead. She felt special. It was clear Arthur hadn't talked to anyone about this, hadn't brought anyone down here before. That he was telling her all of this, that he was letting her in...maybe that meant that he was really accepting her now. She hoped so. She'd always wanted a little brother.


End file.
